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Rich…and Powerful Arabs

By ITP
PRINCE ALWALEED: For the fifth year running, Saudi Arabia’s Prince Alwaleed tops our power list. On paper, his business empire consists of 42 investments in 10 sectors - from Apple Computers and Citigroup to the Four Seasons and News Corporation - but in practice his reach is far greater and for the most part unseen by the outside world. Y

AL-RAJHI: If you tend to dine out often in the UAE, you’ve probably found yourself a regular at KFC, TGI Friday’s, Pizza Hut or one of the many other exclusive Arab franchises controlled by Nasser Al Kharafi’s (31 from 9) company, Kharafi and Sons. It’s no surprise that he snagged a spot in the top 30 of Forbes magazine’s list of the richest people in the world in 2006.

AL-KHARAFI: If you tend to dine out often in the UAE, you’ve probably found yourself a regular at KFC, TGI Friday’s, Pizza Hut or one of the many other exclusive Arab franchises controlled by Nasser Al Kharafi’s (31 from 9) company, Kharafi and Sons. It’s no surprise that he snagged a spot in the top 30 of Forbes magazine’s list of the richest people in the world in 2006.

AL-SANEA: Maan Al Sanea (55) was the highest climber on our Rich List last year with a net worth estimated at US$10bn, and this year finds himself as a new entry in our Power List. And it’s not surprising given that the former fighter pilot in the Kuwait Air Force now runs Saudi Arabia’s fourth largest privately owned company.

AL-AMOUDI: Mohammed Al Amoudi (70 from 65), the Ethio-Saudi tycoon presides over an ever-expanding business empire. Originally from Ethiopia, Al Amoudi was raised in Saudi Arabia, and made his fortune in construction and real estate before branching out to buy oil refineries in Sweden and Morocco. In 2007, Arabian Business ranked Mohammed Al Amoudi as the 6th richest Arab in the world, with a net worth of US$9.2bn.

Arabian Business gives you the lowdown on rich and powerful Arabs across the GCC.

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